Day one in Germany was pretty fun other than major jetlag that prevented me from doing much once I landed. I had all day to pack and check the weather predictions in Hamburg seeing as my flight was at around 7 PM. The weather in Chicago hardly differs from Hamburg's, so I packed mostly clothes I've been wearing recently: pants, shirts, sweatshir...

Waking up surprizingly early, I chose to dine in my hotel, Das Smolka, for breakfast. Breakfast's included in my bill anyway, so I might as well have taken advantage of free food. I'm never too hungry in the morning, so I chose to have the most familiar food to me, a pancake. I don't like syrup anyway, and German's don't typically use it on the...

I woke extra early today because I was planning my excursion from Hamburg today. I scarfed down those delicious pancakes as quickly as possible and walked to The Altes Land, a lovely place only three miles north of Hamburg. Today, as I planned, would be a lazy day. The scenery, a bounty of fruit and blossoms, was beautiful and I simply sat and ...

I woke with a new energy and a new friend who I had planned to later meet at Alster park for dinner. I ate a massive breakfast which contained four pancakes and a rediculous amount of scrambled eggs. I'm starting to wonder if the workers at this hotel really dislike me, but I guess it isn't of their concern if the food is great and free. Before...

After a hearty breakfast and a long walk up a despicably long staircase, I had reached a high point in Hamburg: Saint Michael's Church. It's also called "Michel." I didn't think climbing 453 stairs would be worth it until I saw the amazing view of the harbor and of Hamburg in general. I saw the purpose of those rediculous stairs. I watched from...

I couldn't have pancakes for breakfast today, so I had a big bowl of fruit instead. I would have much preferred the pancakes, but the breakfast place was unable to make them for lack of ingredients. Oh, well. I'd planned a somewhat busy day anyway. Immediately after breakfast, I took the train to the Hamburg Museum, which I got into for free, b...

After making up for the pancakes I'd missed yesterday, I chose to walk to The Panoptikum, a museum of wax figures that allowed me in for a mere 4,50 Euros. It was probably among the strangest of my experiences in Hamburg, and I'm still uncertain why I ever decided to go to a wax museum, but all the wax people were beyond creepy. Though, it was ...